Abstract

It is with pleasure that the editorial staff of The Southern African Journal of Epidemiology and Infection (SAJEI) presents this Festschrift edition as a tribute to Prof Barry David Schoub. During his outstanding career as medical virologist and national and international expert in the field of infectious diseases and their prevention, Prof Schoub was founding Director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), serving as Executive Director between 2002 and 2011, and, before that, Director of the National Institute of Virology (NIV) between 1982 and 2002. This Festschrift is presented to Prof Schoub in recognition of his invaluable contribution to infectious diseases in South Africa and internationally, and has been made possible by an academic grant from the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation (PRF), of which Barry has been an integral part for many years. We extend special thanks to Mr Roy Wiggill, former Chairperson of the PRF Board, the current Board Chairperson, Mr A Moffat, and members of the PRF Board for this generous gesture.